[15x07] December 21st, 2010 [Special]

[15x07] December 21st, 2010 [Special]

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NoNeedForAChestWig said:
I've often wondered that, and even assumed it was true, but sometimes they'd encounter oncoming traffic, so I'm not 100% sure.
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It does often depend on the challenge of the episode, sometimes when they're just flogging a new Aston around the country roads of england they dont have traffic stopped, but when they take out supercars for one of these types of "greatest road" challenges (stelvio pass, transfagaslwkjfgghdsf highway) they definitely had the roads blocked off. someone earlier mentioned that the US National Parks Service controls the Blue Ridge Parkway, and given their environmental leanings and boringness, i can see how top gear might have been unable to get permission, too bad really because If they had had the opportunity, I know it would have made for some amazing driving (and hey, we americans dont always follow the speed limits...)
 
jsausley said:
The Parkway is owned by the National Park Service, and therefore they are notoriously Nazi about this sort of thing.
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One can only imagine the red tape that would be involved.

"We have 3 blokes from Britian that would like to take some exotic supercars and run them up and down your roadway at high speeds and film it. Would that be ok?"
:rolleyes:
 
Anyone else think maybe the Parkway/speed limits thing was on purpose, as a bit of a middlefinger to America?

Other thought was, there wasn't time between the producers' scouting trip (mid-late August) and the filming (mid-September) to get the appropriate permits and soforth.

But yeah, the BRP is federally owned/managed and therefore probably quite difficult to get special use authorization of this nature.
 
Do not know, are they correct speed limits? I do not think for the purpose of the film getting a chit to speed would have been suitable - there is a film to be made about gunning down the road is excellent handling powerful super/hyper cars driven by experts but this was not it.

Any how we like taking the piss out of Americans - you are so much better, bigger and 'braggier' than we are.
 
Italia is my fav car now. But still, I couldn't wonder how that ubermodern SLS next to it made it look... old.
 
Cobol74 said:
Do not know, are they correct speed limits?
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They are for the bit I was on. I was in The Great Smokies for a holiday (coincidentally at the same time as TG!) and was constantly frustrated by the 35-45mph speed limits. The roads were fantastic - sublime twisty bends with a perfect camber so that there was no way you could end up in trouble; plus they're wider roads than over here so there's no real danger of ending up accidentally on the wrong side if you do misjudge a corner. To be honest, the crippling limits came close to putting a real downer on the holiday, as it was meant to be a road trip!

However, I can honestly say the scenery around that area is some of the best I have ever seen.
 
GreenBullet said:
When I saw him with that gun I thought "oh my god... that is one person who should not be handling weapons."
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I'm pretty sure they did that on purpose though, because if you watch the last segment of their training Clarkson is alone on the range with an instructor shooting properly. The first bit was almost definitely comic relief.

Also, I'm almost ashamed to ask, but I rewatched the clip like four times and just don't get James's retort to Hammond when he says, "That ladies and gentlemen from someone who was born till puberty." It takes the audience and Clarkson a second but then they all burst out laughing. Is it a short joke or is he saying Hammon is just slow???
 
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And how did Hammond get out of going into the Holland tunnel. It would have been months until he got back into Manhattan.
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ROFL you clearly been here before :p
They really should have either taken the time to plan the shoots out in a different way, so that the film could have better flow and continuity without the large need for artistic license, or done something different that didn't ruin the suspension of disbelief. NYC is one of the most populated and most visited cities in the world, so many people will feel like Top Gear has been dishonest with them. Limited time and limited money must make it very hard to make a believable film in a world where people are growing more intelligent, more learned and more sophisticated.
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It didn't bother me that much, all in good fun so to speak. One thing I will say though is that some roads were absolutely closed, just about any part you see them driving on with few cars on the road would have to have been closed off, not completely but enough because morning in NYC you ain't moving NOWHERE. :)
Because it is the same writers and producers. I'm sure they want to use UK proven test as a measuring stick for US TV ratings.
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Here is the thing about all the other TG's. They are basically supposed to be a localized version of TGUK, kinda like "Who wants to be a millionaire" so they do similar challenges and road trips and whatnot. Chances are if you show TGUS to someone who never seen TGUK but is the kind of person who would like TG they would most likely like it. Also if you show them similar TGUK episode they might actually not like it, the reason is simple human nature. For the most part humans take what they experienced the first time around as the original/real deal/the way it should be done and everything else feels like a copy. This is why its very hard to make a book/comic book into a movie that people who liked the originals will like. By the same token if you watch a movie and then read the book/comic it was based on you end up going "well its not how its supposed to be". Pretty much same thing is happening with TGUS/AUS/RUS (tho that one is hilarious if you are Russian just on the sheer stupidity) we all view it as an imitation of the original and don't let it stand on its own.
 
Solid 9/10.

Loved every minute except for the few scripted bits (tree catching fire, fused lights). New York cinematography was awesome and Danny Boyle seems like a nice guy also.
 
Jezzaa said:
Also, I'm almost ashamed to ask, but I rewatched the clip like four times and just don't get James's retort to Hammond when he says, "That ladies and gentlemen from someone who was born till puberty." It takes the audience and Clarkson a second but then they all burst out laughing. Is it a short joke or is he saying Hammon is just slow???
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It is "wasn't born until puberty" and I thought it was aimed at Clarkson. (Only seen it once.) I think it just refers to him acting like a teenage boy all the time.
 
Lol, these guys from that FLD show on youtube tested SLS AMG that Jeremy drove in this episode. So check out a video from 1:20 to 1:53, there are somehow problems with a car:)

 
Jezzaa said:
Also, I'm almost ashamed to ask, but I rewatched the clip like four times and just don't get James's retort to Hammond when he says, "That ladies and gentlemen from someone who was born till puberty." It takes the audience and Clarkson a second but then they all burst out laughing. Is it a short joke or is he saying Hammon is just slow???
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Plissken said:
It is "wasn't born until puberty" and I thought it was aimed at Clarkson. (Only seen it once.) I think it just refers to him acting like a teenage boy all the time.
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It is aimed at Clarkson, but what James actually says is '... from someone who was bald until puberty'. It's a reference to the fact that Jezza's hairstyle is frequently referred to as 'pubes', but he is now getting more and more bald.
 
Just watched it, and I loved it. Everything from the Christmas presents (I want some Pussy), to shooting The Stig in the testicles (Do they get the same points if they hit him in the left eye?) to the 45-55 drag races (I'd actually pay to watch those) and the epic close finish at the end in the drag race. When Hamster had the photo, I was expecting it to have been photo-shopped with a Porsche in front, but it was not to be.

Can't wait for the Boxing Day Special, and I especially can't wait until we see what they did with the Australia special that I saw, what, 5 months ago? :p
 
Nuieve said:
Italia is my fav car now. But still, I couldn't wonder how that ubermodern SLS next to it made it look... old.
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Agreed. The 458 is a marvel, but the SLS is a modern marvel.

One of the great episodes, and at the very least, surpasses the other two American specials by about 17 light years. Or about this much: [-----------]
 
I enjoyed this episode immensely. Beautifully-filmed and they really seemed to be having a good time throughout--in fact it was downright infectious even on this side of the screen. The Xmas presents segment had some spot-on comic timing and the "accidents" being obviously scripted didn't bother me one bit, as it was genuinely funny. Thumbs up for the new haircuts too!

Speaking as someone who's a bit of an amateur history buff when it comes to NYC, seeing the guys on the Brooklyn Bridge was the best thing ever.
 
9/10 for me. Probably should rate it an 8, but having fed on a diet of TGUS for the last few weeks watching a farm-fresh TGUK episode was like eating a perfect sirloin steak. The quality of the film, the in-car cameras, the way they handle scripted bits in a much less "looking scripted" way, the glorious music, the great editing, etc. It was heaven. I can't wait for Boxing Day.
 
This toilet humour horrible acting soaked news segment marks the end of Top Gear for me honestly. The films were quite good, sure, but how can you spoil it all with this tasteless studio rubbish?

Am I the only one who enjoys fine (albeit even a bit boring) documentaries more than low-grade recycled comedy?

-1 for the news and 8 for the rest of it, and no one single vote option to reflect that.
 
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